St Mary’s Church

Our Southampton Branch recently conducted an asbestos management survey on St Mary’s Church, Hale. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. Churches and other building owners have a legal duty to inspect their premises for asbestos, and manage any asbestos found in compliance with Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

The earliest formal record of this building is from the early 14th Century, when a thatched rooved church was built dedicated to St Mary. The Church in its present form was created in 1717, when the transept was built and the building refaced, which worked to modernize and increase the size of the property.

Due to the sensitive nature of this Grade II listed property, the survey was conducted conscientiously, with the utmost care and respect from our surveyors.

On this occasion, no asbestos was detected on the premises. However, it’s important to bear in mind that this isn’t always the case for properties of a similar nature. Whilst many of the original structures of the church contain no asbestos, other parts that are updated or modernized are often found to contain asbestos. An example of this may be the addition of thermal insulation around the heating pipework. Ceilings may have been amended to make them more heat efficient and/or fireproof. This highlights how integral it is to remain compliant with regulations, even on properties that you wouldn’t expect to contain asbestos!

View more case studies >